Scope and time adverbs (就/才/再/又/还)
A2 范围与时间副词（就、才、再、又、还） 23 / 56
In short
These five single-syllable adverbs all sit after the subject and right before the verb, and each adds a shade of timing or scope English hides in tone of voice. Learn them in pairs: 就 (jiù, sooner than expected) vs 才 (cái, later than expected); 再 (zài, again in the future) vs 又 (yòu, again, already happened); and 还 (hái, still / also). Get the pair contrasts right and the placement takes care of itself.
The rule
Step 1 - They are pre-verbal adverbs. Every one of these words lives inside the clause, in the same slot: after the subject (and after any time word), before the verb and before negation. English lets “again,” “still” and “too” drift to the end of a sentence; Chinese never does.
Subject (+ time word) + 就 / 才 / 再 / 又 / 还 + Verb
Step 2 - 就 vs 才 = early vs late. Same clock, opposite attitude. 就 (jiù) says the event happened sooner / faster / more easily than expected, and it normally pairs with 了: 他六点就来了 (tā liù diǎn jiù lái le, he came as early as six). 才 (cái) says it happened later / more slowly / with more effort than expected, and it drops 了: 他九点才来 (tā jiǔ diǎn cái lái, he didn’t come until nine). 就 also means “right away” (我就来, wǒ jiù lái, I’m coming) and “only / just” a small scope (我就要一个, wǒ jiù yào yí ge, I only want one); 才 likewise means “only” a small amount (才三块钱, cái sān kuài qián, only three yuan).
Step 3 - 再 vs 又 = future again vs realized again. Both are English “again,” split by whether the repetition has happened yet. 再 (zài) is a repetition not yet realized - future plans, requests, “one more time” - and takes no 了: 明天再来 (míngtiān zài lái, come again tomorrow), 请再说一遍 (qǐng zài shuō yí biàn, please say it once more). That same “not yet” is what gives 再 its second table meaning, then: once a condition is met the action follows, and nothing need have happened before - 你想清楚了再回答 (nǐ xiǎng qīngchu le zài huídá, think it over, then answer), where the answering is a first, not a second. 又 (yòu) is a repetition already realized - it happened, and usually carries 了: 他又来了 (tā yòu lái le, he’s come again).
Step 4 - 还 = still / also. 还 (hái) marks continuation - 他还在睡觉 (tā hái zài shuìjiào, he’s still sleeping) - and, with 没(有), “not yet”: 我还没吃饭 (wǒ hái méi chī fàn, I haven’t eaten yet). It also adds an item, “also / in addition”: 我还要一杯茶 (wǒ hái yào yì bēi chá, I’d also like a cup of tea). (Its comparison-boosting sense, “even more,” belongs to the comparison lesson.)
Forms & patterns
The five at a glance:
| Adverb | Pinyin | Core meaning | Timing / 了 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 就 | jiù | then; right away; only; sooner than expected | done, usually + 了 (but not in the “right away” sense) |
| 才 | cái | only then; not until; only (small amount) | later than expected, no 了 |
| 再 | zài | again (one more time), then | future / not yet, no 了 |
| 又 | yòu | again (repeated) | already happened, + 了 |
| 还 | hái | still / yet; also / in addition | ongoing |
就 vs 才 - one clock, two attitudes:
| 就 (jiù) - early / easy | 才 (cái) - late / hard | |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker feels | sooner, faster than expected | later, slower than expected |
| Example | 他六点就来了 (tā liù diǎn jiù lái le) | 他九点才来 (tā jiǔ diǎn cái lái) |
| Takes 了? | yes | no |
再 vs 又 - “again,” forward vs back:
| 再 (zài) - again, future | 又 (yòu) - again, realized | |
|---|---|---|
| Happened yet? | not yet (plan, request, wish) | already (past / habit) |
| Example | 明天再来 (míngtiān zài lái) | 昨天又来了 (zuótiān yòu lái le) |
| Takes 了? | no | yes |
Examples
- 我马上就来。 (Wǒ mǎshàng jiù lái.) - I’ll be right there.
- 他六点就起床了。 (Tā liù diǎn jiù qǐchuáng le.) - He got up as early as six.
- 我十一点才睡觉。 (Wǒ shíyī diǎn cái shuìjiào.) - I didn’t go to bed until eleven.
- 她学了三年才学会。 (Tā xué le sān nián cái xuéhuì.) - It took her three years to master it.
- 你明天再来吧。 (Nǐ míngtiān zài lái ba.) - Come again tomorrow.
- 请再说一遍。 (Qǐng zài shuō yí biàn.) - Please say it once more.
- 他今天又迟到了。 (Tā jīntiān yòu chídào le.) - He was late again today.
- 他还在睡觉。 (Tā hái zài shuìjiào.) - He’s still sleeping.
- 我还没吃饭。 (Wǒ hái méi chī fàn.) - I haven’t eaten yet.
- 我还要一杯咖啡。 (Wǒ hái yào yì bēi kāfēi.) - I’d also like a cup of coffee.
Common mistakes
- 他九点才来了。 -> 他九点才来。 - 才 (later than expected) rejects the completion 了; only 就 and 又 pair with it here.
- 他昨天再来了。 -> 他昨天又来了。 - a repetition that has already happened takes 又; 再 is only for repetitions not yet realized.
- 请你又说一遍。 -> 请你再说一遍。 - a request is a not-yet-done repetition, so it needs 再, never 又.
- 我想去再。 -> 我想再去。 - 再 is an adverb; it goes before the verb, never at the end like English “again.”
- 他没还来。 -> 他还没来。 - “not yet” is 还没(有); the adverb 还 stands before 没, never after it.
Tips
- 就 vs 才 is attitude, not time: the same “six o’clock” is early praise with 就 (六点就来了, eager) or a late complaint with 才 (六点才来, kept us waiting). Memory hook: 就 comes with 了 (it’s done, and fast); 才 refuses 了 (it dragged).
- 再 vs 又 by direction: 再 points forward (again, not yet - plans and requests), 又 points back (again, already - facts you observe). If you can say “please… again,” it is 再; if you just watched it happen, it is 又.
- Watch the homograph: 还 read hái means “still / also,” but the same character read huán is a different verb, “to return (something)” - 还书 (huán shū, return a book). Context and tone keep them apart.
- Tone of 一 before these: it is yī alone but yí before a 4th tone (一遍, yí biàn) and yì before other tones (一杯, yì bēi), so 再说一遍 and 还要一杯 shift the 一 you hear.